Crowe's Dive Into Mind Of A Disturbed Genius Is Beautiful

January 25, 2002|By Josh Edleman North Broward Prep

Powerful. Beautiful. Astounding. Everything a movie should be and more. The film, of course, is A Beautiful Mind, the compelling true-life story of math genius John Forbes Nash (Russell Crowe). The film takes you on a journey with Nash through his many trials and tribulations, opening with his Princeton University days where he searches for his Original Idea.

Subsequent to his days at Princeton we are taken to M.I.T, where Nash, now a professor, meets his future wife Alicia (Jennifer Connelly), an outgoing student who attempts to impress the stubborn genius. During his days at M.I.T, Nash is called to the Pentagon to assist the government in cracking a Russian code. While there, Parcher (Ed Harris), a government operative, involves John in a McCarthyistic search through magazines and newspapers to find hidden Russian messages.

A dramatic and shocking turn of events is soon to come as we find that Nash suffers from a mental illness. We watch how Nash tries, with the help of his loving wife, to overcome his problems in the powerful and moving film.

We have seen the world through the eyes of Forrest Gump, and now through the mind of John Nash. The movie successfully takes you into Nash's head, giving you a feeling of what it is truly like to be a victim of mental illness. You almost feel what Nash went through with his dysfunction.

Going into the movie I felt a bias against Crowe because of his undeserved Oscar win last year. I had heard that he is again an Oscar hopeful, and I really felt his win last year should count as his Oscar for this year. However, his performance in A Beautiful Mind is awesome and deserving of the award. He really brought Nash to life and showed a lot of potential to become one of our new Robert De Niros or Dustin Hoffmans.

No assessment of A Beautiful Mind can be complete without mentioning the film's director, Ron Howard. This is his masterpiece and really shows how he has matured as a director from the hilarious Night Shift, to the now remarkable A Beautiful Mind.

A Beautiful Mind shows how people can overcome any obstacle no matter how difficult it may seem. Miracles do happen, and all it takes is one man to make a difference in the world. But most of all it is a story about the true power of love and commitment. This film is touching and inspiring.